Kai's Cold Beginnings
by shadowspirit001
Summary: The Bladebreakers are spending a summer in a training camp with the AllStaz. A new evil force is trying to destroy them all. Kai is having stop at nothing to haveflashbacks about his past and Voltair will Kai back at the Abbey as their tool again. suck a
1. Chapter 1: Just the Beginning

A New Family: Kai's Cold Beginnings: Just the Beginning (Chapter 1)

Why do I even bother sticking around? They were a bunch of amateurs. Still.... I have to admit they have grown since the first time I met them. When I met Tyson, he was just another wannabe beyblader. Sure, he can talk the talk, but can we walk the walk? Even though he made several mistakes, at least he learned from them. However, his eating habits have yet to be changed. Not to mention, his attraction to food. The first time I met Max, I thought he was either on drugs or had too much sugar. That kid was way too hyper and nice for his own good. Though, he does bring good defensive skills to the team. Ray had a dark past like mine. I can relate to him, out of all of them. Both of us have trained all of our life. He had some miscommunication with his team, which we later discovered to his distress.

Frowning, I gathered up my beyblade and launcher. My "team mates" were celebrating another good practice. Tyson and Max were practically suffocating the Chief as they sandwiched the genius between them. Yesterday, he worked on all of our beyblades and was up till one or two finishing them. Surprisingly, he was finished that early. Normally he would have been done at breakfast. I must admit he comes in handy though at times he appears to be more of a weakling. Ray smiled and watched their antics.

Turning around, I started walking off when I heard my name being called. Without looking back, I could tell who was calling me. What does Ray want? "What?"

"Where are you going?" the Chinese beyblader asked me. I soon felt his presence behind me.

"I'm going to eat dinner before Tyson," I replied coldly. "What does it matter to you?"

"Oh, nothing," Ray said hesitantly.

Hurrying to the dining area, I quickly sat down and ordered my meal. Knowing Tyson, he would eventually make his way up here. He always does especially when it involved food. His concentration was mainly on his stomach. It should be on beyblading and nothing else. Why did he even become a beyblader when he doesn't even take it serious? When he beyblades, he often heavily relied on Kenny for advice. Although once in awhile, he does have good advice, like the time I faced Johnny. Why am I thinking about him?

Oh look, the rest of the team has finally showed up. Laugh all they want, they weren't going to go far in this sport. Max had his arms around both Tyson and Ray as they talked about the different foods. I raised my brow at this. Max and Tyson I can understand, but Ray? Hopefully, they won't rub off on him. That was the last thing I need. Three Tysons.

"So here you are." Tyson chirped as he took a seat. Max and Ray followed with Kenny waiting.

"Why do you care?" I scowled at him.

"You're a part of the team," Max said, trying to make me a part of the team.

"Tch," I mumbled.

"Scoot over, Tyson," Ray told Tyson, who stuck his tongue out as a response. A glint appeared in his golden eyes before he shoved Tyson over, causing him to bump into me. Max laughed at our predicament, while Kenny shook his head.

I hissed at Tyson, who then grumbled at the Chinese beyblader. Just great, they were going to turn Ray into one of them. That was the last thing I needed. I don't have time to baby-sit the four of them and train for the next world tournament.

"Thanks a lot Ray," Tyson said very sarcastically.

"Yeah, thanks," Kenny said, finally being able to sit down.

"Any time," Ray teased the others. When they had finally calmed down, they picked up their menus and started looking over the selection. The three of them discussed what they were going to pick for dinner.

"Kai," Kenny spoke up after placing his menu down.

"What?" I asked.

The team genius then opened up his lap top and turned it on. Fortunately, Dizzi happened to be sleeping, since she had a hard day yesterday. I don't blame her, since I would probably be feeling the same thing. "I have found the information you were looking for."

I glanced over the screen after he had turned around his computer. On the screen, he had a chart of every bit beast we have faced in battle. It compared their power, defense, and endurance. Out of all the teams we faced, the Magnificents were by far the most challenging. They knew how to control their bit beasts, but they lacked team work, which was their downfall. If Johnny would have trusted his team mates, then he would have been able to escape, but fortunately for me, he didn't. Funny thing was that I too didn't believe in team work. However, it does have its benefits. These charts may help, but they didn't provide information about the beyblader.

"Good," I said out loud. I turned the computer to face Kenny, who abruptly started to type up a storm. What does that kid do anyways? He was always on his laptop doing something. Should I even be concerned? Nah.

After awhile, the waitress arrived with my food. While I was starting to eat my vegetable lasagna, the others ordered their meals. Tyson took forever to order his. It wasn't that he couldn't make up his mind. Oh, he knew what he wants. The trouble was that he wanted too much.

"Tyson, I don't think we have enough cash," Kenny argued against the food loving beyblader.

"Oh fine then," Tyson pouted. He crossed his arms over his chest. Once again, he looked over the menu and cut down his order to three items.

"And I thought I ate too much," Max said, a little surprise. He ordered one of the larger dishes.

"What do you want to do tonight?" Tyson asked the rest of us, including me. He looked at each and every one of us.

"I say we play truth or dare," Max chirped. He wanted to play that game ever since he was humiliated the last time. Actually, we only played it once, because I wouldn't allow them to play it while we were training.

"No," I said a little coldly. The last time we played, they couldn't train the next day. Tch, that placed us a day behind schedule, though I don't think Tyson minded that.

"And why not?" Max pouted this time.

"Remember what happened last time?" Ray spoke before I could say anything. There was hope for him, yet.

"Oh yeah." Blonde logic, go figure.

"We could watch a movie," Kenny suggested as he typed away on his laptop.

"We did that last time," Tyson whined. "I want to try something new."

"What do you have in mind then," Ray asked with a hint of amusement.

"I have no idea," Tyson said with a cheesy grin plastered on his face.

As the four of them argued on what they were going to do tonight, I finished eating my dinner as I didn't want to be around when Tyson received his food. How can they eat with him? I glared at the preoccupied beybladers. I lose my appetite, when I watch him eat. The others, I don't mind being around them. Even if they liked to eat, they at least had table manners, which is more than I can say for Tyson. As a matter of fact, why were my thoughts continually going back to him? It must be the pressure. It has to be the reason.

After finishing my dinner, I paid for my meal and turned to leave when I felt someone tug on my scarf. Looking back I found the others staring at me with Tyson hanging onto my scarf. "What is it now?" I glared at him.

"Why don't you stay?" Max asked, looking completely innocent.

"Because I have better things to do," I answered while pulling my scarf out of Tyson's hands.

"Fine, be that way," Tyson said sarcastically.

Later that night, I went to bed earlier than the others, because unlike them, my training started at dawn. While they slept, I prepared myself to defend our title. Usually Ray would wake up after me. Kenny would be going to bed around the time Max wakes up. As usual, Tyson would wake up after everyone. 

Dream Sequence

Why does this place look familiar? I remembered living here a long time ago. As I glanced around the room, old memories started coming back to me. My parents weren't exactly the richest or poorest. They managed to earn enough money to get by; however, we couldn't exactly indulge ourselves to eating at a restaurant.

Here I was sitting in my room, playing with my old toys. Mom had bought them at the Salvation Army, since they were too expensive at the toy store. This was better than getting nothing at all. I glanced at the free calendar. Today was my birthday. I was going to be turning six years old. Mom said she had something special for my birthday. They had been saving up for this day. I could tell, since Mom had been using a lot of coupons and buying food that had been already discounted. Dad had also helped by conserving on electricity.

The front door opened. My parents had come home from their jobs. Yes, they both worked so that we can afford the rent, food, and other necessities. I heard the both of them talking to each other as they did it. Yuck!! Good thing I was in a different room or I would have thrown up at the sight of them kissing.

"Kai, honey, we're home!" Mom announced. As if she needed to. The door made enough noise to alert me of their appearance.

I raced out the door once they had finished their mushy scene to find a birthday cake waiting for me. Oh wow!! I never guessed they could afford to purchase one. Normally, Mom would have made one or they would buy a cupcake. It was the thought that counts.

When I turned to Dad, he brought out a bag. Man, they were going all out on my birthday. They even bought food from that one restaurant. This was going to be the best birthday. He placed the bag on the table before I launched myself at him. I thanked him and Mom repeatedly. They exchanged huge smiles.

After dinner and the cake, I thought it was finished, but no, they were just getting started. Mom had grabbed something out of her purse. It was a small bag. Curiously, I took a peek and nearly bowled over my parents. They had bought me my own beyblade and launcher. I have been dropping hints ever since a friend of mine gave me his. This beyblade was a little worn down. My friend had recently designed his own beyblade so he had no use for his first one.

Once I had thanked my parents, I walked into my bedroom, admiring my new beyblade. I inspected it in detail. This didn't have any scratches or missing pieces as it was brand new. Most importantly, it was mine.

Suddenly, I heard yelling and arguing. Pressing my ear against the door, I heard my parents arguing against an older person. He had a commanding tone of voice. What did he want?

"I will be taking the child," the stranger announced.

"You can't," Mom protested against this man.

"I'll report this to the police," Dad said threateningly. I've never heard that use that tone of voice before. He was more of a laid back type of person, who was slow to anger.

"Go ahead," the man said smoothly. A few seconds later, a couple of startled gasps sounded throughout the room. Sturdy footsteps made their way to my door. I had a few seconds to move out of the way before my door flew open.

I scrambled to my bed, where I had left my beyblade. This strange man looked angry, very angry indeed. Why was he angry? I didn't do anything, did I? Of course not, I wasn't in the room, when they were arguing.

"Get your belongings packed," he ordered me. Why should I follow his instructions? Who was he to start giving me orders?

"Why should I?" I retorted while holding onto my beyblade.

"Because you're coming with me," the strange man folded his arms across his chest.

"What makes you think I'm coming with you?" I shot back at him, not moving a muscle. I didn't move an inch from my comfortable position on my bed.

"What makes you think I'm asking you," the stranger replied with authority in his voice. I don't like the tone of his voice one bit. Something told me he wasn't here for a friendly visit.

"I'm not going," I said firmly and scooted further away from him.

The stranger had turned around and ordered another person to pack my belongings. Hey those were mine!! Before I could speak, he had hauled me off my feet. The next thing I knew, he was walking out of my home.

As he was leaving with me in his arm, I glanced back at my parents. They both looked so helpless. Crying, they leaned against each other for support. That was the last time I ever saw my parents. I don't know what has become of them.

Dream Sequence End

I woke up to the sound of Ray's soft breathing. If you're wondering, no we weren't sleeping in the same bed. We were sharing the room in separate beds. Out of the team, he was the one I could tolerate being in a room with for more than a few hours.

Turning my head, I glanced towards the window and could see the sun light filtering through the blinds. I must have woken up a little later than I should have. All because of that stupid dream of mine. When I looked back, I couldn't believe that I was so weak and pathetic. Still, I wondered where my real parents were. Also why did my Grandfather have to take me away?


	2. Chapter 2: Who Needs Friends?

A New Family: Kai's Cold Beginnings: Who Needs Friends? (Chapter 2)

Slipping out from my bed, I stood up and stretched. Another day, another day of training waiting for me. I took one glance at my room mate, who was fast asleep. I wondered what he was dreaming of, as he had a huge grin plastered on his face. Wish I had those kinds of dreams, but no, I had to have nightmares. At least he was having good dreams.

I quickly made my way to my dresser before pulling out my usual outfit. Changing quickly, I thought about the different attack and defensive maneuvers I can do. Ever since we won the tournament, I had been creating new moves, seeing mine were predictable. I learned that power wasn't everything.

You can have the most powerful bit beast, but without skill, you might as well have the weakest, because you were going to lose anyways. Max's mom learned the hard way. Technology and science isn't everything. You need a fighting spirit. Heck, I could have told her that. Even Tyson knew that, which surprised me. Then again, he believed in fighting with your heart. Tch, if you relied on that, the chances of winning was unpredictable.

As I finished changing, a rustle sounded behind me. I spun around, thinking that Ray had woken up, only to find him rolling over in his sleep. At least he doesn't require extreme measure to be woken up unlike some team mate of mine. Not again, why do my thoughts constantly go back to that blue haired boy? It was getting really annoying. Must think of other things like winning and my bit beast.

I closed the door softly and walked calmly out towards the kitchen. As I neared the room, I heard the clicking of keys and the obnoxious voice of Dizzi. Kenny must have pulled another all nighter. Who's blade was it this time? Most likely it would be Tyson's, seeing as he needed more help than the rest of us.

"Kenny get some sleep," I said walking past him.

"That would be nice," Dizzi said sarcastically. "Unfortunately, SOMEONE has to finish upgrading the team's blades last night."

"Well, I couldn't sleep without trying these," Kenny said, while motioning towards a messy stack of papers. He had hastily scribbled the different diagrams and mathematic equations. "I've managed to increase Tyson's attack power." Thought so. "Max's defense and accuracy have also been increased." Didn't see that one coming. "I've increased Ray's attack and defense." Definitely didn't see that one. "I also built you a new beyblade." SAY WHAT!!!!

I raised my brow in curiosity. "Why even bother?"

Kenny looked taken back by my comment. "Well, I had originally intended to give it to Tyson's but it wouldn't go well with his bit beast. Then I thought of you. If all goes according to calculations, you should be receiving a twenty five percent increase in power."

I grabbed it as he handed it over me and inspected it. Maybe I should give this a test run. Turning, I was about to head out to practice, when I felt my stomach demanding attention. I needed to eat something. Kenny glanced in my direction curiously before quickly looking away, after seeing me glare at him.

"By the way, if there should be any problems, I'll fix them as soon as I can," Kenny mentioned while typing away on his laptop.

"Easy there chief, don't want to pull a muscle," Dizzi teased our team genius and strategist.

"Very funny," Kenny returned.

Let's see what we have. I opened the door to one of the cabinets. Figures, Tyson purchased several sugar coated cereal, as if he wasn't hyper enough. Then again, he ate a whole lot more than us combined. I moved over to the fridge for some leftovers, when I saw Kenny still at the table typing away.

"Did I not say go to sleep?" I asked harshly. I may not admit it, but they've grown on me. As team captain, I make sure they were healthy and strong.

"I'm almost finished," Kenny pleaded with me. "I've finished updating your stats and now I'm saving it." With that, he pressed the button to save the file.

"Phew," Dizzi sighed with relief. "I thought you would never stop."

"Relax Dizzi," Kenny said. "We're finished for today." He tried to sound reassuring.

"Right," Dizzi said sarcastically. "And I'm the tooth fairy."

I went back to rummaging through the fridge for something edible to eat. On second thought, Tyson would have gotten to them before I could. Where does he store all that food? Ray doesn't eat as much as Tyson; yet he was taller than the boy.

Picking up a few pieces of bread, I placed a couple into the toaster before grabbing the container of margarine. We used margarine, since Max was going on a diet. I didn't think he was fat, even if he ate a lot. His hyperactivity used up several of his calories. Therefore, he didn't gain weight. Good thing, he wasn't going on a grape fruit diet. I can't stand that stuff.

I gathered a dish, a butter knife, and the margarine, and then placed the items on the table. While my bread was in the toaster, I poured myself a cup of orange juice. Normally, I would have gone for coffee, but I needed the calcium and vitamins, not the caffeine. When my bread was finished, Kenny had already left the table and gone to bed. That boy needed more sleep. During our training session, I saw him nod off a few times.

As soon as I finished, I washed my dishes and headed towards our practice bey stadium. If you were wondering, the Bladebreakers and I have rented an apartment in the US. Don't ask me why we were here, because honestly, I don't even know why I agreed to this. We planned on staying a few months, training with the All Stars. Max's mom wanted to study our techniques and fighting spirit in action. Why did I even agree to this? Maybe it was to get away from my grandfather. Ever since he had forcibly removed me from my parents, I had been trying to find ways to get away from him. This opportunity presented itself and I took it without thinking it through. In less than a week, we will start training with them. I can hardly wait.

At the stadium, I carefully took out my bit beast and placed him into his new home. Setting my new blade into the launcher, I took aim and let it rip. My blade immediately shot forwards into the stadium, where I wanted it to land. I allowed Dranzer to warm up before I would put him through his paces.

I picked up a nearby rock and threw it at my blade, while shouting an attack. Dranzer's quick reflexes and skill took over. He sent quite a few fire arrows at the rock, completely destroying it. Good. His aim had improved ever since I changed his training regiment. I had thrown a few more rocks at the fire bird, whom shot every single one of them.

"Let's move onto our new moves, shall we?" I asked him. Dranzer squawked a yes. "Flame shot!" (Where do you think I got this from?)

Dranzer had circled the stadium once before sending a huge ball of fire to the other side. He then made another round and sent another fire ball at the rock I had thrown this time. We had perfected this move, but we still need to practice. After spending fifteen minutes on this maneuver, we moved onto another one.

"Final burst!" I ordered my bit beast.

Suddenly, Dranzer bursted into flames and shot forward. He encircled the stadium a couple times before extinguishing his fire. We still need to work on that. His level of fire kept fluctuating while he circled the stadium.

Out of nowhere, a silver blur headed straight towards my beyblade and crashed into it. Leaning forwards, I tried to recognize whose blade it was. Since it was on the attack and it was colored silver, it must be Tyson's blade.

A cheerful face greeted me as he stepped into view. He gave me a victory sign. What was he doing? I glanced downwards and saw what he meant. His beyblade was pushing mine out of the stadium. I glared at my team mate as he giggled at my reaction. Wait until I show him.

"What is it, Ray?" I emphasized his name.

"Just having some fun," Ray answered with a sly smile.

"Whatever," I said, recalling back my blade. Catching it in a fluent motion, I glared at he caught his own beyblade.

"Beyblade isn't just about winning," Ray tried to explain to me. "It is also about having fun"

"And what would you know about it?" I asked, placing my hands on my hips.

"I have been seriously studying beyblades all my life," Ray recalled his history. "I have missed out on having fun and spending time with my friends, but I have changed before it's too late. You can change before you get locked into this mentality."

"What's wrong with that?" I raised my brow in curiosity.

Shaking his head, Ray looked anywhere but at me. "You don't understand. Perhaps you never will." He then moved back towards our apartment.

Sighing, I went back to my practice. Several times, Ray tried to make me understand. In response, I have given him the cold shoulder. Beyblading wasn't for the weak. It was for the strong. Many people considered it a game; however, I considered it my life. This time was different. It appeared he seemed defeated. Why do I even care about his feelings and why did I protect him against those bladers last week?

After who knew how long, I turned to take a break from my training and who should I find? Tyson stood there with his hands on his hips, his usual grin gone. Instead he glared daggers at me. What did I do wrong? Why do I even care about his opinion? It never bothered me before, but now, I have this strange feeling. Could it be guilt? No, it couldn't be. I knew it can't be.

"What is it Tyson?" I asked very coldly.

He stood there glaring even harder, as if it was possible. "What did you do to Ray?"

"It's none of your business," I replied, stuffing my blade and launcher into my pocket.

"He was only trying to help you, but you keep pushing him away," Tyson said harshly. "We're all trying to help you because that's what friends do."

"I don't have friends," I replied, while thinking of my friends. All of my childhood friends have been taken away. When my grandfather had taken me, we left the island completely and moved onto the main island. I never saw my friends, but then I wouldn't recognize them. The friends I tried to make here were scared of by my guardian.

"What about the Bladebreakers?" Tyson persisted. He managed to keep calm during our entire conversation. Normally, he would have exploded in my face.

"They're just team mates," I said. Hey, I didn't have to explain myself as I was the team captain.

"So that's what you think of us?" He wouldn't give up. I should have known. He was more persistent than any of the others.

That brought into mind, what did I think of the others? As far as Kenny, I respect him as an expert on beyblades. Even though he didn't know everything on beyblades, he was willing to learn and correct himself. Max, I don't hold a high opinion of him, but he does have good defensive maneuvers and tactics. Ray, I respect him as a fellow beyblader, maybe even as a friend. I knew I have these feelings for him, but I could tell they weren't romantic in any way. Last but not least, there was Tyson. I was completely clues on my feelings about him. What did I feel towards him? I didn't know.

"I thought so," Tyson said exasperated. "At this rate, you'll be all alone. Don't say I didn't warn you, because I did."

Did I want to be alone? Why not? There wouldn't be any distractions, and I can concentrate on my training without being bothered. I will become a master beyblader before I reach my early twenties if it happened. However, it was unlikely as I had team mates. Why did I even agree to join the team? Now that I thought of it, I have been asking myself a lot more questions lately, without receiving any adequate answers.

Turning on his heels, Tyson stormed away from the stadium and headed towards our apartment. He sure seemed furious at me. Why should I care? I didn't care even if he was angry. He needed to cool down.

You know it seemed very strange for Tyson to be this angry. At times, he would be ticked off at me or others. Judy and the All Stars knew how to push his buttons, especially Emily. Heck, she even knew hot to get anger myself. Even if I don't show it, she may or may not know, but I will never know. She too kept secrets.

"Max, I know you're hiding out there," I said, without looking back.

Sheepishly, Max came out of his hiding. He had a goofy grin on. I have hardly ever seen him really angry or sad. Perhaps, the only time I have seen him was during the American tournament. He had been really upset when Kenny chose me instead of him to fight in the finals.

"Why do you keep pushing us away?" Max asked completely innocently. His eyes widened, making him look cute as a puppy.

I shouldn't look. I shouldn't look. I shouldn't look. I turned away from him. "I don't have any friends," I told him, but I didn't add the last part. Because my grandfather kept taking them away from me. I learned the hard way, when I felt broken after my friend couldn't see me. We had to break our friendship, because of my friends' health. Grandfather saw friends as a weakness. That was why he never allowed me to have any.

"Why?" He asked once again.

I don't have to tell him, but I couldn't look at him either. "I can't tell you."

"Please tell us, we want to help you," Max practically begged to know. "We can't help you if you don't allow us."

Unfortunately I turned around and saw his face. I quickly looked in the other direction.

"You can't help me. No one can."


	3. Of Thoughts and Flashbacks

**A New Family: Kai's Cold Beginnings: Of Thoughts Flashbacks (Chapter 3)**

Turning on my heels, I quickly walked away before I did or said anything I might regret. Max has that kind of atmosphere around him. He can get the most stubborn people to open up to him with his puppy looks and attitude. Back there, I almost lost it and told him, but I had enough training to withstand such a force. Then again, he was very open and honest about his feelings. If he tried to hide them, I knew it was something bad, because he didn't want to offend anyone.

"Kai, wait for me!" Max yelled as he tried to keep up with me.

Not wanting him to catch up, I took off in one direction, hoping to outdistance him. For once, I was grateful for those long workout sessions they made us endure every day. I wouldn't have been able to outrun the hyper boy. Soon enough, Max started to lag behind, trying to catch his breath. He stood there, leaning against a wall panting.

I rounded the corner and slowed down a little. As I blended into the crowd, my thoughts kept turning back to my parents and to a certain team mate of mine. Why did my grandfather take me away from them? Was it to fulfill his desires of creating the perfect beyblader? I remembered my first day at Grandfather's mansion.

Nearly running into a pole, I decided it would be best if I wasn't in deep thought while walking through a busy area. It was dangerous to my health, not that I cared. Why should I care if I live or died? My only purpose in life was to become the perfect beyblader. And what has that accomplished? Nothing, it brought me no joy, only pain and suffering.

My parents, did they miss me? Probably not, it had been a long time, since I've seen them. I wondered if they would recognize me. Seriously, I doubted that possibility. If they even do, would they accept me for what I have become? I remembered I was a happy child, somewhat of a mix between Tyson and Max. Then my grandfather showed up and everything changed.

Should I even bother looking for them? It will take me a long time tracking them down, since I don't have much information on them. Heck, I don't even have a picture or any piece of information on them. My grandfather made sure he severed every link or connection to my past when he made me join their organization. My past memories, I had only a few remaining ones. The ones they couldn't take away from me. Secretly, I cherished them like the first beyblade my parents bought me before I was forcibly taken away. Since I joined their little club, most of my memories came from there.

I headed towards the park, not caring about the people who stared at me. What was wrong with them? Haven't they seen a kid with blue triangles on his face? Probably, they have seen me with my team mates. No, we weren't that famous. Since I have practiced the entire morning, I decided to sit down and reflect on my past. There were some things unanswered. Sitting down underneath an oak tree, I leaned against it and pulled up my knees while putting my head on them. I needed to sort out my thoughts first.

Why did my grandfather take me away from my parents? He told me that they were too poor to support me and that he would take care of me. At first I didn't believe it, because my parents did everything in their power to give me what I needed. I didn't lack anything, except new clothes every year, but I got them when I outgrew them. They never deprived me of food. In fact, there was always something to eat, though we use a lot of coupons. One of my chores was to cut them out so we could use them when we go to the grocery store.

When I first arrived at his mansion, I couldn't believe my eyes. Why would he want to live in such a big place when it was lonely? When I started asking questions, he scolded me with a slap to my face. I still remembered it hurt, it hurt a whole lot. I wasn't talking physically; emotionally it was painful. What was wrong about being curious?

That was when my training started. The first day, Grandfather allowed me to explore the mansion. I guessed he wanted me to know the area so that way I don't get lost and take more time than necessary find my way around. I thought I was going to have a fun time living with my grandfather. Boy was I ever wrong. Living with my grandfather was a living nightmare. The second day, my training began with a grueling workout. He expected me to lift weights, do sit ups, push ups, and aerobic exercises. By the time my workout was finished, I was completely done, but my grandfather had much more in store for me. He had me launch my beyblade until my arms were numb. He wanted nothing but perfection. How can I be perfect on my first day?

The days went by and my training grew intense. Soon it became months. The hours became longer and the intensity became almost unbearable. Worst of all, he was slowly starting to mold me into an emotionless beyblader. He said that love was a weakness; whereas I saw it as strength. It wouldn't be long before I too saw it as a weakness. One day while I was training, my grandfather met this man. He went by the name of Boris.

The strange man brought me to this facility, where they trained several beybladers. They were ruthless and emotionless, just like how my grandfather wanted me to be. I stared at them as they launched their beyblades into the stadium and fought each other. The weak ones were rejected from the institution, while the stronger ones became even stronger. Why was I here? I wasn't that strong or good enough to join their ranks was I?

Flashback

"Grandfather, why are we here?" I asked him as we walked through the doors. This was my first time here and from what I heard they only accepted the best.

"This is no time for questions," Grandfather scolded me. He twisted my arm.

I could remember the pain. As quickly as it came it left. It must have been a warning to keep my mouth shut and listen to what our host had to tell us. I wanted nothing more than to get out of here with my sanity in tact. They looked like a bunch of zombies, if you asked me.

"This is your protégée?" Boris looked down at me.

"Yes, he is," Grandfather said coldly. "My grandson has been doing quite well, since I took over training him."

"Is that so?" Boris raised his brow in curiosity.

"Yes," Grandfather confirmed what he had said. "Before I adopted him, he had no training regiment whatsoever. With my help, he has drastically improved."

"We shall have to see," Boris said, inspecting me. What does he think I am, a pet for sale? "This way." He motioned for us to follow him. Before leading us to the training room, he gave my grandfather and I a quick tour of the facility.

Boris led us to a training room with several dishes inside it. I glanced around to find many beybladers battling each other. They had cold hard faces and scowls on their faces. Didn't they ever have any emotions? I guessed not. What did this place do to them? I don't want to end up like that. I wanted of here right now!

I tried to pull out of my grandfather's grip, but he held onto me firmly and literally dragged me to one of the empty dishes. Standing there, I wondered what they had in mind, when a red headed boy stepped out from the crowd.

"Hiwatari," Boris addressed my grandfather by his last name. "This is Tala, one of our most promising students." This Tala had a grim expression.

"Kai, you will battle Tala," Grandfather ordered me. His harsh voice left room for no questions.

Why would I want to battle Tala? What did him ever to do me? Why should I follow your orders when I am perfectly capable of thinking on my own? Why did you even take me away from my parents just so you can train me to be the perfect beyblader?

"Tala, you will fight Kai," Boris commanded the red haired beyblader.

Tala stood there with his launcher ready. He was prepared to go into battle while I, on the other hand, seemed reluctant. I didn't want to fight so I can prove how far I've progressed. This was a game and it should be fun.

"Kai," Grandfather said sternly before shoving me onto the floor. He was about to slap me when I pulled out my beyblade and launcher.

The first thing I do after I win was to escape from this nightmare. I will show him I wasn't anybody's little toy. As I readied my beyblade, I noticed a few others watching our little battle. Apparently, Boris told the others to watch so they can learn. He mentioned something about Tala being 'one of our most promising students.' Can he back that up?

"Doesn't he ever speak?" I thought to myself, getting ready to launch my beyblade.

Soon, we had launched our beyblades into the stadium. Tala wasted no time and started attacking my beyblade. Two can play that game. So he wanted to play hard, I can play hard. When I had trained, I increased my strength and speed. My beyblade became a blur and caught Tala off guard when it looked like it disappeared from the stadium.

Tala narrowed his eyes, trying to find my beyblade. I smirked as his eyes darted from one side to the other and then back again. Giving up so soon? He should have known. You never underestimate your opponents, unless you want to lose. I may be smaller than him, but that doesn't mean I have a few tricks up my sleeve.

"Not bad," Boris said, watching me.

"What did I tell you?" My grandfather boasted.

When his attack failed, Tala searched the entire stadium for my beyblade. He frantically tried to catch me off guard. Even though he looked calm and collected on the outside, I can tell he was starting to become nervous every second. I needed to wait until the right time to make my move and then he will fall prey to my attack.

As he passed my beyblade, I ordered it to attack. It caught Tala completely off guard, and he took a few moments to recover. When he finally recovered, I had moved close to him so that he couldn't attack me. All I needed was to gain momentum and then slam into him. Staying close as possible, I followed him as he circled the stadium, attempting to lose me. He even made a few tight turns, but I kept on his tail.

Now was the time to make my move. I had my beyblade look like it was falling behind. This should catch him off guard, when I make my move. I slowly started to fall further behind as his blade sped up. When he was further ahead of me, he tried to attack my beyblade, but I had moved it out of harm's way. In a matter of second, I turned and sped off to the direction he should take, if my calculations were correct.

Yes, I was correct. In less than a second, I had Tala's blade flying out of the dish and landing in front of his feet. I won my first battle here. I should be proud of myself, when I remembered my escape plans. The other students were shocked that I had won and stared at Tala's blade.

I moved to catch my beyblade, but then at the last second made a break for the door. The others didn't sound the alarm until a minute later, when reality sank through their thick skulls. I wasn't going to waste a second, watching their reactions.

It was a good thing, Boris showed us around here or I wouldn't have known where to go when I made my escape. The personnel didn't know what was coming until it was too late. A few workers were in the hallway when I had made my escape. They were working on something or another and had their attention completely at the task at hand. I had easily slipped by them when they finally comprehend that I was trying to escape. If all the people here were like this, then this should be no problem.

Turning the corner, I nearly collided with another student here. I pushed past him and sprinted down the hallway. Darn! That was a few precious seconds I lost there. With my training regiment, I had gained more muscle than I thought, and I had kept gaining them. I was able to make up for the few seconds I had lost. Now that I had some time to think, wasn't he supposed to be in the training area with all of the other students or something?

I shouldn't be thinking about that. I should be concentrating on getting out of here alive. Bounding up the stairs, I had made it to the ground level. The outside light nearly blinded me as I headed towards the windows and doors. Before long, I reached the front doors and bursted through them. I was free at last.

"Oh crap!" I muttered loudly, when I heard people running and cursing. I had to get out of there as soon as possible. Without thinking, I took off in one direction, hoping to lose them in a crowd. Since I was small, it was easier for me to maneuver through the busy crowds than the adults. They had to push and shove the other people, who were angry at being bumped or pushed.

Every muscle in my body protested as I tried to run. When I glanced back, I couldn't find them in the crowd so I moved into one of the shops. Hopefully, they wouldn't think twice of looking for me here. I certainly hoped and prayed not.

Hiding behind one of the bookshelves, I peered from behind it to find my grandfather and Boris scanning the crowd. I could barely see them, which means they can barely see me. I watched as they cursed and shoved innocent bystanders out of their way. They were on a war path. I hoped they wouldn't catch up to me, because I can tell my punishment was going to be severely harsh. Why does life have to treat me like this? I was happy, full of life until my grandfather showed up. My life completely changed after that.

I watched as they completely went past my hiding place. Knowing that they would still be there, I hid out until one of the store employees found me. What should I tell him?

"Is there anything I can help you with?" He asked politely. Then he noticed I was in the young adult reading section. "The children's section is over there."

"I can read these," I pointed to the young adult books. Along with beyblading, my grandfather taught me reading and other useful subjects. He didn't want me to grow up without some sort of education, because I wouldn't be able to get ahead.

"Oh, okay, if you need any help, just ask," he said before wandering off to help another customer. If he could defeat my grandfather, that would be nice.

Deciding to keep my mind occupied, I wandered up and down the aisle looking at the books. I found mystery, action or adventure, science fiction, or fantasy to be good reading. Romance novels were nasty. They had mushy scenes. How can anyone read that? It made me want to hurl, when I read the kiss scenes.

I picked up a few books and read their summaries before scanning through the books. Some of them looked interesting like the Lord of the Rings. I wanted to read these, when I get the chance. Maybe, I can borrow them from the library. Surely, they will have this popular series.

When I was going to put it back, I felt a hand grab me roughly. I looked up to find Boris, with an angry face. I screamed and yelled for him to let go, hoping that someone will come to my rescue. Darn! I didn't think they would be this smart to locate me.

A hand soon covered my mouth and I did the only thing I could think of at the moment. I bit down on his hand. Boris quickly pulled back his hand. Unfortunately, he didn't release me. Instead he slapped me in the face and marched out of the book store with me under his arm.

As hard as I tried, he wouldn't release his grip on me. I kicked and punched wildly only to have his grip on me tighten so that he wouldn't drop me. Yelling at the top of my lungs brought quite a bit of attention towards us. A few people looked concerned for me. Yes, they should be as I was about to face my doom.

Boris quickly made up a lie. He said that I had this rare condition, which caused me to be very hyperactive. What! I screamed even harder, but to no avail. No one was looking in our direction anymore. I couldn't believe this. I was soon about to be in the one place I dread the most.

When we had reached their facility again, he threw me into this room and locked the door. I ran towards the door and tried to force it open. Several times, I attempted to knock the door down. I kicked, punched, and ram it, but it was no use. The door wasn't budging, and I didn't have anything to pick the lock with. In fact, there wasn't even a lock to pick to begin with.

I flopped onto the bed completely exhausted, when I noticed my beyblade on the dresser. Slowly, I moved over towards it and picked it up. They hadn't changed a thing on it. I curled up on my bed, hoping this nightmare would end.

Slowly, I drifted to sleep.


End file.
